September 26, 2016 · 8:08 AM ET

No. 1:Rivers, Clippers ready to challenge Warriors — They can’t hide from it, the expectations or the obstacles. And Doc Rivers knows as much, has prepared for as much heading into the 2016-17 NBA season with designs on taking the Los Angeles Clippers to places they haven’t been before, even with the Golden State Warriors and their superstar-studded roster (Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green) standing in the way. Rivers insists his Clippers are ready to challenge the Warriors, no matter what the doubters think. Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times breaks down the challenges facing the Clippers with training camps set to kick off around the league:

Last season the Clippers had another successful regular season (53-29) and had high hopes going in the playoffs. But that quickly evaporated when they lost a first-round series to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Paul broke his right hand and Griffin reinjured his left quadriceps tendon in Game 4, forcing both to miss the last two games of the series.

Once again there were complaints that the L.A. Clippers still had never made it past the second round of the playoffs.

“You should never run from the truth. That’s true,” Rivers said. “But getting past the second round is such a [expletive] goal. That’s not my goal. My goal is to be the winner. So, to be the winner, part of that is getting past the second round. The second round talk does nothing for me. The endgame is being the winner.”

Rivers quickly pointed out that “we’re not” one of the favorites to win the 2017 NBA championship.

Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has the Warriors as the title favorites at 5-7 odds, with defending NBA champion Cleveland second (5-2), San Antonio third (6-1) and the Clippers fourth (20-1).

“We’re in the conversation,” Rivers said.

So much of the Clippers’ success will be determined by the health of Paul and Griffin, both of whom Rivers said are 100% healthy based on how well they have looked while playing in pickup games at the practice facility.

But Griffin has another cloud hovering over him. He broke his right hand in a fight last January with then Clippers assistant equipment manager Matias Testi.

Griffin penned a letter to Clippers fans on the Players’ Tribune Friday, apologizing for last season.

“It’s been a hard year for Blake – from the knee injury to the Matias thing,” Rivers said. “Blake had a year of life lessons. And that’s OK. I don’t have a problem with that. We all have them. I actually will say Blake is in the best physical and mental place he’s been in since I’ve been here.”

The Clippers will gather together for media day Monday and open their training camp Tuesday at UC Irvine.

In recent weeks Rivers has watched as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has taken a knee during the the national anthem in his quest to raise awareness about racial injustice.

“When I hear people say, you have to stand with your team, that’s true. But there are certain issues that transcend everything,” Rivers said. “This is a very serious problem we have. And to me, none of us are smart enough to know the solutions. But what we can do is start the debate and the talk.

“And usually when enough people get to talking, there are usually results in some type of action. To me, whether you like what Kaepernick did or not – and it’s not for me to tell you if you should or shouldn’t – the fact that you’re reading about a statement that I’m making about it means what he’s doing has had an impact. Now we have to get to the endgame and that’s the hard part.”

On the basketball court, the hard part for the Clippers and the rest of the league will be getting past the Warriors with Durant and two-time MVP Stephen Curry as the expected super team of the NBA.

“There’s always going to be a competitor in our league. There’s never going to be one team that wins it every year,” Rivers said. “There’s always going to be someone that’s standing in front of you and our job is to stand directly in front of them and block their way.…

“But that’s fine, if that’s what people want to believe [about the Warriors]. We’re just not going to believe that crap.”

February 26, 2013 · 11:23 AM ET

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The outstretched arms pleading for sympathy are the same. So are the yelps of protest and the sometimes angry glares.

As a rule, NBA players treat Violet Palmer no differently than her male counterparts, which is the way she likes it.

“I’m a referee,” she said, “and I’m there to call a game.”

Palmer, 48, has been in the NBA since 1997, when she and Dee Kantner became the first female officials to work for a major professional sports league in the United States.

“Back in those early days, I never thought of myself as any kind of pioneer or a barrier breaker,” Palmer said. “I was just getting a chance in a game that I love and was too concerned with doing all of the things right to earn that position.

“But as the years have gone by and I’ve been asked to speak at a lot of career days and the subject comes up each year with Black History Month, I have come to understand the significance. I’m proud of having done something that nobody else has done and I’m most hopeful about having opened the doors for other young women in the future.”

Kantner was fired in 2002 for poor performance, but Palmer has continued to thrive and has a string of seven consecutive years of working in the playoffs, advancing as far as the conference semifinals. Only 36 of the league’s 62 officials work the postseason, an assignment based strictly on ratings and merit.

“I think all anybody cares about is competency,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. “Gender has nothing to do with it. Competency speaks for itself.”

“They could be a Martian for all I care,” said Heat forward Shane Battier. “As long as they get calls right, are approachable and don’t have an ego trip, it doesn’t matter who it is blowing that whistle.

“I really think Violet is one of the better officials. She’s decisive in her calls. You’re allowed to talk to her. That’s all we want.”

Palmer’s playing career began at Compton High in Los Angeles and she went on to win a pair of NCAA Division II national titles at Cal Poly Pomona as a point guard in 1985 and 1986. After college, she worked for the City of Los Angeles as a recreation director and began to officiate games on the side at the high school and college level.

“I’m a basketball junkie,” she said. “Officiating was a way to stay close to the game and earn some part-time money. I had no idea when I started that I could make a career out of it. Then one day (1995) I got a call at home from (then NBA supervisor of officials) Darell Garretson, who said he’d started to track me and that the NBA was looking to train some women. At first, I thought some of my friends were playing a joke. But I found he was serious, got into the NBA training program and the first time I refereed a game in the summer league, I thought: ‘Oh boy! I love this and I will get me a job.’ ”

That job at the highest level of the game has evolved way past the point where anyone makes note or takes exception to her gender these days. Though in 2007, Celtics radio commentator Cedric Maxwell complained about calls and said she should “go back to the kitchen.”

Palmer laughs, shakes off any comments and only worries about making the next call. When she gets knocked down on the court, most of the players will lend a hand to help her back up. When she hits them with a technical foul, most will eventually come back and apologize for getting out of line. And a few have mentioned that the perfume she wears makes her the best-smelling ref in the league.

“I don’t mind,” she said laughing. “I am a woman. What I’ve found over the years is that while a lot of the fans in the stands are abusive, many of the players were raised by single, strong mothers and they respect me in that way.”

Part of that respect afforded to Palmer is probably reflected in the fact that two more female referees — Lauren Holtkamp and Brenda Pantoja — have officiated NBA games this season with virtually no fanfare and little notice.

“I think the ladies coming up need to pay homage to Violet for her paving the way,” said Spurs veteran Stephen Jackson said. “To me, Violet’s done a great job. Honestly, she does a better job than some men. She gets the utmost respect from me and she showed the NBA they could bring women in and they could get the job done.”

“I’m close to both of them,” Palmer said. “Any time they have a question, the first person they call is me. I had to walk through a lot of this by myself. To have more women coming behind is very inspiring to me. I’m happy to hold up the banner.”

July 16, 2012 · 11:56 PM ET

LAS VEGAS – Two females are “top candidates” to become NBA referees in 2012-13, Joe Borgia, the vice president of referee operations, said Monday.

Lauren Holtkamp and Brenda Pantoja are both WNBA officials who worked the semifinals of the National Basketball Development League playoffs. If chosen for a partial schedule or the entire season, they would join veteran Violet Palmer as the only active female ref in the NBA.

“They’re top candidates,” Borgia said at summer league. “In fairness to the other refs, I can’t go any farther than that.”

A decision on the staff of approximately 60 officials is expected in early September. The number of openings is uncertain, although it is believed no one from the 2011-12 lineup has retired and that Bennett Salvatore, one of the top referees, will be returning after missing all last season with injuries.